Santa's Summer Safari July 23 & 24 10 am - 2pm

Winter Holiday Fun in July! Louisville Zoo Announces New Santa’s Summer Safari (Media Release)

ZOO CONTACT: Kyle Shepherd
502-238-5331 (Media Cell 502-744-5639)
kyle.shepherd@louisvilleky.gov

Santa is making an early stop at the Louisville Zoo for a brand-new event — Santa’s Summer Safari — this July at the Zoo!

The Zoo will be showing holiday-themed movies on Friday evenings in July as part of the Cinema Safari series. “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” (PG-13) will be shown on July 15 and “Elf” (PG) on July 29. Cinema Safari is presented by Great Clips.

On July 23 and 24, the Zoo will host Santa’s Summer Safari Weekend from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Visitors can meet Santa and enjoy fun games, activities, keeper talks and animal enrichment.

This special weekend event includes LIVE ice sculpture demonstrations at noon by Kentucky sculptor Matt Stoddart. A few of Stoddart’s designs will be given to the animals for icy enrichment. In addition, kids can enjoy special holiday-themed games and activities including the “elf fishin’ hole”, “build a snowman” obstacle course and more. Plus, there will be craft stations where children can create tissue paper suncatchers, pipe cleaner palm trees and other themed crafts (while supplies last).

The Zoo is open daily year-round. Current hours through September 18, 2022 are 10 a.m. ─ 5 p.m. (enjoy the Zoo until 6 p.m.) The Zoo is closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day.

For more information about Santa’s Summer Safari visit https://louisvillezoo.org/santa-summer-safari/ 

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About the Louisville Zoo

Since 2011, under Mayor Fischer’s administration, the Louisville Zoo celebrated its 50th anniversary, opened nine new exhibits and attractions, and won national awards for Glacier Run and School at the Zoo. Considered Kentucky’s most popular not-for-profit paid attraction, the Zoo welcomed nearly 9 million guests in the last decade. In 2021, the Zoo was voted “Best Place to Take Kids in Summer,” by LEO Weekly, “Best Kid-Friendly Attraction” by Kentucky Living Magazine and Boo at the Zoo made the Top 10 Halloween Festivals list by thetravel.com. Community Access Memberships, deep-discount days, the Future Healers Got Zoo Buddies partnership and the accessible playground are among prime efforts to make Louisville Zoo even safer, more engaging, and more inclusive. Among the Louisville Zoo’s most successful conservation programs, the black-footed ferret breeding effort produced 1,100 kits and repatriated more than 800 of these most highly endangered, American mammals to the wild.

The Louisville Zoo, a non-profit organization and state Zoo of Kentucky, is dedicated to bettering the bond between people and our planet by providing excellent care for animals, a great experience for visitors, and leadership in scientific research and conservation education. The Zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).

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